Asheville people and events that inspired us in 2015

Asheville resident Robyn Moser, left, embraces her partner Kathleen McCafferty as hundreds gathered at Pack Square Park during a rally celebrating the decision by the United States Supreme Court, which determined same-sex couples in America could be married in all 50 states.(Photo: William Woody / wwoody@citizen-times.com))Buy Photo

Energy advocates

Residents had more than a say in how the region would be powered into the future. And not just a few voices, but more than 9,000 strong who made a difference.

In May, environmentalists and local officials hailed Duke Energy's announcement that the utility would retire the 51-year-old coal-fired power plant at Lake Julian, shifting to cleaner natural gas burners and solar power in coming years.

Duke then announced plans for a 45-mile transmission line from Campobello, South Carolina, to Lake Julian to guarantee backup power for the plant.

Caught off guard by the “volume and intensity” of opposition, the utility dropped those plans in November. Duke instead decided to change plans to reconfigure the existing plant with two smaller gas-burning units.

The change came as a relief to thousands of people in Buncombe, Henderson and Polk counties in North Carolina and in Upstate South Carolina who worried the power lines would mar mountain scenery and lower property values. The company was swayed by the more than 9,000 comments it received since proposing the line.

"The good news here is the people were heard," said North Carolina Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson.

Civil rights landmark

In a landmark decision June 36, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutional right of gay Americans to marry.

From Asheville to Spruce Pine, people in Western North Carolina organized gatherings to celebrate the historic ruling. More than 200 people, young and old, gathered in downtown Asheville. Marlene Mechanic stopped by the rally on her way to work holding a pride flag. "Now I am able to express my love without fear. I no longer feel less than," the Asheville native said. "I love this town. This is who we are. It's what we have always been all about."

Buncombe County Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger was one of the first in the state to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after U.S. District Court Judge Max O. Cogburn Jr. declared the state's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional Oct. 10, 2014. Later, a two-story rainbow flag was flown outside of City Hall.

On June 11, North Carolina passed legislation that exempts magistrates and some registers of deeds workers with "sincerely held religious objection" from carrying out same-sex marriage ceremonies. Republican Gov. Pat McCrory vetoed the bill, but it was overridden by the General Assembly.

New chief makes a mark

For years, the Asheville Police Department seemed to be hop-scotching from one crisis to another — an evidence room in shambles, administrative errors leading to dismissals of hundreds of parking tickets, a disgruntled workforce, a traffic accident involving a former chief's son that led to questions about the investigation.

Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper has made numerous changes within the department since taking over July 20.(Photo: Citizen-Times file photo)

Still, when that chief, William Anderson, announced his retirement last year and the city launched a nationwide search, the applications flooded in — 141 to be exact. Tammy Hooper, a 26-year veteran of the Alexandria, Virginia, Police Department, got the nod, becoming the third chief in four years and the city's first female chief.

Hooper, 49, began work July 20 and wasted no time in overhauling the department's organizational structure to ensure mid-level managers equally share the workload. She also added officers on the high-profile downtown patrol, boosted staffing to combat an evidence room backlog and realigned patrol districts to improve officer response time to the south of the city.

"I think we have a collective will to kind of get the negativity behind us and move forward and take the department to where it needs to be," Hooper said in an interview after 100 days on the job.

Officers and the community have responded positively, with groups ranging from a neighborhood association to the Police Benevolent Association offering high marks for Hooper's performance. She's also made an effort to personally be involved in more disenfranchised communities.

The Rev. Keith Ogden, a supporter of Anderson and later a critic of the city's search for a new chief and the lack of diversity among candidates, said after Hooper's first 100 days, "I have nothing so far but high marks."

City Council shakeup

In November, Asheville voters chose three new faces for City Council seats, sending a clear message that they're concerned with the red-hot pace of hotel building and other development in the city, especially downtown.

City Councilman Keith Young, the top vote-getter in the Asheville City Council election in November, celebrates his victory.(Photo: Citizen-Times file photo)

Keith Young, a deputy clerk of Buncombe County Superior Court, spent the least amount of money in the fall election, just over $4,600, and garnered the most votes, 6,315. Brian Haynes, another candidate who expressed serious concerns about development and like Young pushed for a park on a downtown city-owned parcel, came in second, while environmentalist Julie Mayfield came in third.

One-term Incumbent Mark Hunt lost his re-election bid, landing fifth in the voting.

"I'm just ecstatic and happy that money in elections isn't everything, and people speak out," Young said on election night.

Haynes, an assistant manager with Habitat for Humanity, attributed his win to a large number of volunteers and other supporters, and a message that resonated with those worried about the rising costs of living in Asheville for regular working folks.

Mayfield, who had been the top vote-getter in the primary, said after the election she will carry the voters' message with her during her term on council.

“There is a strong sentiment out there that we’re catering too much to tourists and not enough to people who live here,” Mayfield said. “I’ll make sure to focus on the people who live here.”